Thursday, September 19, 2013

NFL Picks - Week 3 - Thursday Edition - Reid's Return

Chiefs @ Eagles

Ok. Week two went a
little better. 2-0 so far in the
Thursday night games, but this figures to be the closest one yet. The big story in this one is Andy Reid’s
return to Philadelphia. Selfishly, I would have liked them to
schedule this game at least another month from now, as week 3 seems a lot too
soon to hype up Reid’s return.
Regardless, this one should be highly entertaining.

Can Chip Kelly’s offense do a better job of controlling the
ball this week after the Chargers, a team with zero ground game, held the ball
for 40 minutes last week? This will
easily be Philly’s toughest test thus far.
KC held the Cowboys to just one TD last week after kicking around the
Jags in week 1. I think the trifecta of
Dontari Poe, Tamba Hali, and Justin Houston is going to play a huge part in
this one. How well the latter two
control the edges will go a long way in dictating how successful the Eagles
will be. I think Shady McCoy will still
get his, but Dog Killer will have multiple turnovers. DeSean Jackson will get a boost if Brandon
Flowers isn’t able to go in this one.

Look for the Chiefs to slow the game down and feature a lot
of Jamaal Charles and some of Alex Smith on the ground. Dwayne Bowe has yet to get loose, but you’ve
got to like his chances this week given the way Pierre Garcon, Leonard
Hankerson, Antonio Gates, Malcolm Floyd, and Eddie Royal have already torched
the Eagles secondary. Philly is favored,
but I think the Chiefs are the better football team. They’re certainly the better defense, and as
long as they don’t get in an early multi-score deficit, I like Reid’s chances
of earning a homecoming win.